Bucks agree to deal with Nets for Jason Kidd

In this Friday, April 25, 2014, file photo, Brooklyn Nets coach Jason Kidd gestures to his team during the second half of Game 3 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series against the Toronto Raptors, in New York. Kidd is talking to the Milwaukee Bucks about a position after losing his bid for front-office power with the Nets, a person with knowledge of the details said Saturday, June 28, 2014.(Photo: Frank Franklin II AP)

The Milwaukee Bucks have reached an agreement with the Brooklyn Nets to make Jason Kidd their next coach, three people with knowledge of the deal told USA TODAY Sports.The people spoke on the condition of anonymity because the deal had not yet been announced.

The Nets will receive two second-round draft picks in the deal, the first coming in 2015 and the second coming in 2019.

The Bucks, in turn, got a new coach even before formally dismissing their current one, Larry Drew, after the bizarre turn of events that unfolded on Saturday night.

The Bucks officially fired Drew Monday.

After transitioning from his decorated playing career into coaching and leading the Nets to a second-round playoff loss against the Miami Heat that fell way short of ownership's title aspirations, Kidd pushed for a promotion that would have put him above general manager Billy King in the basketball operations department while also keeping him as coach.

It's clear now that Kidd's unhappiness with his pay played a part, as Kidd – who signed a four-year, $10.5 million last summer – saw Steve Kerr (the Golden State Warriors) and Derek Fisher (the New York Knicks) getting enormous deals as first-year coaches (both at five years, $25 million) and decided he deserved more as well.

But Nets ownership declined his request for the promotion, one that Nets officials believe was made after he already knew he had a job in hand with the Bucks. The opportunity on that front was rooted in his relationship with new Bucks owner Marc Lasry, a former Nets minority owner who is known to be close with Kidd. In the end, Kidd will likely get the sort of deal he wants, as he is expected to cut an entirely new contract with the Bucks.

What's more, there is serious skepticism among the involved parties that Kidd's title as coach-only will remain for too long. The Bucks have a general manager in John Hammond who was given a three-year extension last summer, but it will hardly be a surprise if he is eventually able to procure a prominent voice in the team's front office.

As USA TODAY Sports reported on Sunday, former Memphis Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins is considered the frontrunner to replace Kidd. With an aging roster and such a seemingly-short window of time with which to contend, Brooklyn is expected to opt for a veteran coach. ESPN.com first reported that the deal was done between the Bucks and the Nets.